Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 201: What No One Tells You About the Teaching Job Search (A Golden Apple Scholar's Real Advice)

Transcript

Ep 201: What No One Tells You About the Teaching Job Search (A Golden Apple Scholar's Real Advice) · New Teacher Talk

Welcome to New Teacher Talk,
the podcast that meets you right where you are on your
teaching journey.
I'm Dr.
Anna and I'm so glad you're here today because we have a
very special episode lined up for you.
You know there's something truly magical about the energy
of a student teacher.
There's a beautiful mix of passion, purpose,
and possibility that comes with standing on the threshold
of an incredible career.
And today we're going to hear from someone who's in the
middle of that season of life.
We welcome Sammi Katschke,
a Golden Apple Scholar who's been doing the hard hopeful
work of not just learning the craft of teaching,
but also navigating one of the most exciting and let's be
honest, often nerve-wracking parts of this journey.
Landing your first teaching job.
Here's what I love about Sammi.
She isn't going to tell you that it's easy and it all
worked out.
She's going to walk you through the process,
the steps she took, the strategies she used,
and the mindset that carried her through.
Whether you're a student teacher yourself,
getting ready to start your job search,
or you're a mentor supporting someone in this season,
this episode is absolutely for you.
So settle in, grab your coffee,
and get ready to feel inspired because Sammy's story might
just be exactly what you needed to hear today.
Welcome.
Sammy.
My name is Samantha Katschke.
I am a current student teacher and the K-5 General Music
teacher and District Band Director for Chadwick-
Milledgeville for next school year.
Today I'm going to be talking about the four main takeaways
I had from the job application process and what I believe
made me so successful in being able to get a job so early
in my semester so that I was already set up for the next
school year.
The first big step that I would say,
and this one starts all the way back from when you started
college but it is truly never too late to start doing it,
always try to expand your network.
There are so many jobs out there and there are so many
educators who want those jobs filled,
so many schools who want those jobs filled with qualified
teachers,
but they're not all being posted in the same place.
There are a lot of positions that I know of that are
available in music but that aren't posted on the job board.
There are ones that are listed only in the regional office
of education for them.
There are some that are only posted on the school's
district page.
It's all over the place.
By having that strong network and having those people that
you can talk to and who know you and are willing to share
positive things about you,
they will come to you when those jobs are open.
They will be asked if they know of somebody in the area and
their mind will go right to you and even if you wind up not
taking that job, apply for it, go through the process.
There's so much to learn just from doing that.
Another good example of why it's important to try and
expand your network is that after I had accepted my job for
this upcoming school year,
I was contacted by an admin from another school who I've
known for years, who I used to babysit for,
and they mentioned that their music teacher was potentially
looking at another job and that if that teacher did accept
it,
they were wondering if I would be willing to go through the
process because they knew me and they'd seen me interact
with kids and be available for next school year.
So that next step is your letter of recommendations and
your cover letter and your resume.
Your letter of recommendations,
try to get them as soon as possible and have them set in
stone.
I asked the people who I wanted letters of recommendation
from last semester, about halfway through.
They were set and then I just had to keep on them to
actually get the document to me,
but then I was able to have multiple choices when I was
applying for jobs so I could choose ones that only talked
about what I could do with general music students if I was
only applying for general music.
I could find ones that only talked about band or choir when
I was applying for a job that had band or choir,
and then that way also the job could see that I'm very
focused on that position that I'm applying for.
With your cover letter,
it's really good to have an outline and the things you want
them to know about you, all of your academic accolades,
all of your leadership experience,
anything else that sets you apart from everybody applying,
but there should also be a portion on there.
I was reading through your job description and I saw that
you put this and I think I am specially qualified for that
because of these reasons.
I know for one job I applied for,
they were looking for somebody with jazz experience,
so I put in your job description,
I saw that you were looking for somebody with jazz
experience.
I was in my university's jazz bands for so many years,
which I believe sets me apart from other candidates because
of XYZ reasons.
And then, your resume.
Try to keep that updated as often as possible.
Mine changed two or three times during student teaching,
just with other awards I was given,
leadership experience that I was given throughout that
period of time.
But then also it changed during my last semester actually
on campus for me.
And if I had not updated all of those things by the time I
went and I applied for jobs,
that resume would not have actually been a true
representation of who I am as an educator and as a student
when I walked into that job interview.
So just making sure you always keep that updated.
It may seem like a little thing,
but five minutes here and there just to read through it.
Make sure that you've added anything that may have changed.
Make sure you take away anything that you may not want
anymore.
But also make sure you have as much teaching experience as
you truly have.
If you worked a summer camp in college, put that on there.
If you babysat during college or you were a nanny or
anything like that,
anything that shows that you have worked with children and
you've been in some type of leadership role,
put that on there, they want to see that.
So then my next biggest piece of advice,
start early and apply often.
I submitted my first job application in my third week of
student teaching.
I know for some people they were told to wait or they chose
to it, anything like that.
And it's totally fine.
There are still plenty of jobs out there,
but the sooner you do it and the more often that you do it,
the more experience you will have in the process.
The hardest job application to submit in my experience is
not the one for the job that you truly want.
It's the first one.
So just submit it, get it done, get out of the way.
They will get better as you go on,
just like your interviews will.
My first interview, I was terrified.
My answer showed it.
My body language showed it.
I did not do a great job in it.
I walked away knowing I could have done better.
Then I did a mock interview at my student teaching
placement and I was able to work out some of my jitters
there.
I was able to answer the questions better,
but I still wasn't where I thought I could be.
And then by the time I took my third interview,
I was able to walk in,
I was able to confidently answer their questions and I've
been told by people that they reached out to just to check
my references and all that.
The school cannot stop talking about how poised I was in my
interview.
I accredit all of that just to trying to get as much
experience as I could with the whole thing.
So then my last biggest piece of advice is to apply for
every job that you are qualified for.
Again,
I'm gonna use the music example because that's where my
expertise is currently.
There was a K through two general music and PE position
available.
And I sent the email, I applied for it.
I know nothing about PE.
I was the person who always tried to get out of PE.
So I don't think I'm the best choice for it,
but it was a job.
And if nothing else,
it would have been application experience and interview
experience.
And if it had been my only option for that school year,
I still would have had a job.
And I still would have had something to put on my resume
for the 2026,-2027 school year.
So that if after a year I decided that's not where I wanted
to be,
I could go into another interview and I could confidently
say that I didn't just take the year.
So those are my four biggest piece of advice for the whole
application process.
Just the little extra tidbit at the end is it's hard to do
and it's challenging and it's scary.
But at the end of the day,
it's how we get into the classroom.
Good luck.
If Sammi's story resonated with you today,
I want to encourage you to take just one step.
Maybe it's updating your resume,
reaching out to a principal,
or simply giving yourself permission to believe there is a
classroom out there just waiting for you.
And to all who tuned in today,
thank you as always for spending this time with us.
If you found this episode helpful,
please share it with someone who could use a little
encouragement today.
And remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode of
New Teacher Talk.
Till next time, keep growing, keep believing,
and keep showing up for your students.
I'm Dr.
Anna, and this has been New Teacher Talk.
Take care.